Why Do Children Grind Their Teeth? In years past, it was thought that children who ground their teeth and snored would grow out of it eventually. And the conventional wisdom was in some small way right. After a certain age, a good number of these kids did seem to stop these behaviors (we’ll get to […]
Did you know certain osteoporosis medications, particularly if delivered as an IV injection, can affect your dental health? I had a patient recently who came to my office complaining of an ulcer on the tongue side of his gums. It had been there for about a month and wasn’t going away. Most normal ulcers will go […]
Did you know that one of the single most destructive habits for your oral health (and overall health) is using tobacco products? Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco have been linked to gum disease, oral cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and many other health problems. Quitting just this one habit (easier said than done of […]
A recently released study by researchers at the University of California San Diego has discovered an interesting link between migraine headaches and higher levels of certain types of bacteria in the mouth. Recurring migraine headaches are a very common disorder that can be very debilitating and painful for people who suffer from them. The reasons […]
In 2015 an interesting article came out in the PLOS Medicine journal that documents how the sugar industry manipulated research as far back as the 1960’s about how best to prevent cavities. Some interesting finds… Even in the 1950’s the sugar industry knew that sugar caused damage to teeth and that there was consideration being […]
When most people think about the damage done by smoking they first think of lung cancer and other lung diseases. Did you know that smoking can cause a huge number of other problems too? The mouth, being the first place the smoke hits, is one of the areas most damaged by smoking. Let’s find out […]
When you go to the dentist do you always dread the question, “So have you been flossing?”? You can lie and tell them you have been (but they’ll know you haven’t) or you can tell the truth and you’ll get “the speech” for the 100th time. Or do you floss but but still feel like […]
The Associated Press came out with a story a couple of days ago with the headline, “Medical benefits of dental floss unproven”. Because flossing and dentist visits are such hated past-times, many media outlets seized on this story and claimed that you can stop flossing! Headlines like “Tell your dentist to suck it” abounded. Hey, […]
I talk a lot on here about how your oral health is closely related to your overall health. In elderly patients, one of the most important related illnesses is pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia is a big problem in nursing homes and a lot of these cases can be prevented with improved oral hygiene. Your mouth is […]
How common is oral cancer? Oral and pharyngeal (throat) cancers make up approximately 2% of all the cancers diagnosed in the United States. As of 2014, that was about 50,000 new cases each year. The most common type of oral cancer is known as squamous cell carcinoma with about 90% of the total cases. What […]